Fastening device for safety pins and other pins



June 13, 1944. n. H. WHITE FASTENING DEVICE FOR SAFETY PINS AND OTHER 1INS Filed Nov. 2, 1943 Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE FASTENING DEVICE FOR SAFETY PINS AND OTHER PINS 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pins, such as safety pins, jewelry pins andthe like which comprise a body element and a pin element resilientlyattached to the body element and movable toward and from the lattertogether with a fastening device co-operating with the point of the pinelement for holding the pin closed and shielding the point and,particularly to the fastening "device.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have shown itherein as it would be applied to a safety pin, but I desire to statethat the improved fastening device is equally applicable for use inconnection with pins of other types such as jewelry pins and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel fastening devicefor a pin which is so constructed that the danger of the pins becomingaccidentally opened when in use is repoint of the pin when the latter isclosed, but

the construction is such that when the front or pointed leg of the pinis subjected to pressure toward the back leg the point of the pin willbecome disengaged from its shield, and when the pressure is released thepoint is very likely to move into an open exposed position instead ofback into the shield.

It sometimes happens that when a safety pin of this known type is beingused, especially as a-diaper pin, some movement of the child may resultin applying a pressure to the front or pointed leg of the pin sufficientto disengage it from its shield and a subsequent movement of the childwill relieve this pressure. As stated above, when the pressure is thusrelieved the point of the pin is apt to move into an open or unprotectedposition, a condition which is dangerous for the child.

It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to provide a novelsafety pin in which the pointed end cannot be disengaged from its shieldmerely by pressing the front or pointed leg toward the back leg, butonly by giving said pointed leg a peculiar movement which would never beaccidentally given to it while in use.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a fastening device forpins having various novel features which will be more fully hereinafterset forth and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of myinvention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a safety pin embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1 looking toward the head.

The pin herein illustrated comprises the usual body member or back leg 3and front leg 4 which is provided with the pointed end 5. The back legand front leg are shown as being formed from a single piece of wire bentinto the proper shape and also so bent as to pro- ,vide the loop or coil6 which constitutes a resilient connection between the legs adaptednor-- mally to move the legs away from each other, and to resilientlyresist sidewise movement of the front leg 4 with respect to the back leg3, said coil normally tending to hold the front leg in the planeindicated by the dotted line i I, Fig. 2 as it moves toward and from theback leg.

Carried by the end of the back leg 3 is the fastening device or head 7involving my invention and adapted to receive and shield the point 5 ofthe leg 4. This head I may be made of any suitable material, such asmetal or plastics, and it is rigidly attached to the end of the back leg3 in such a way that said plane. indicated by the dotted line H, Fig. 2,is situated between the opposite side faces 9 and ll: of said head. Saidhead 1 is formed with an entering slot 8 which extends from the sideface 9 thereof transversely toward the opposite side wall I J,

across the plane l l and to a position beyond said plane.

back leg 4 and which terminates in a seat I3 situated in said plane IIbut spaced a proper distance from the entering slot 8. The portion M ofthe head 7 between the entering slot 8 and the passage I2 is formed witha recess l5 which is situated in the plane ii and communicates with saidseat l3, the depth dimen sion (the dimension from the mouth or open endto the bottom) being parallel to the plane H and in a direction at rightangles to the slot 8. The formation of this recess provides a protectivebeak 16 which forms one wall of the recess IS, the outside surface ofthe beak also constituting one wall of the passage l2. The entering slot8, the passage i2 and the recess l5 are allopen at the inner end I! ofthe head I and extend from said inner end I! well toward the outer endl8.

When the pin is to be closed the pointed end of the front leg 4 isentered into the entering slot 8 and is moved therein against theresiliency of the coil 6 from the open end of the slot across the planeII and to the inner end of said slot when it communicates with thepassage l2. The movement of the front leg 4 toward the back leg 3sufficiently to permit the pointed end of the pin to enter the slot 8will subject the spring connection 5 to increased tension and as soon asthe pointed end of the pin has been moved from the open end of the slot8 to its inner end and the pressure on the front leg is released the'resilient action of the spring 6 will cause the front leg to move awayfrom the back leg and to be carried through the passage I2 to the seatl3 at the outer end thereof.

The passage I2 is preferably curved as shown best in Fig. 2 so that whenthe pressure on the front leg is released after the pointed end thereofhas been carried to the inner end of the slot 8, the normal tendency ofthe coil 6 to bring the front leg into the plane H and to move it awayfrom the back leg will carry said pointed end through said passage l2into its position of rest against the seat I3 and in the plane II. Ithas been stated that the head I is rigid with the back leg 3 and,therefore, the natural tendency of the two legs 3 and 4 is to assumesome position relative to each other in the plane II.

If after the pin has been closed as shown in the drawing the front leg 4should be subjected to pressure tending to move it toward the back leg,such pressure will merely carry the point of the-pin from its 'seat l3into the recess I5 where the pin point is still locked in the head andis protected.

As soon as this pressure has been relieved, the resiliency of the spring6 will move the pointed end 5 back into the position shown in thedrawing. 7

My improved pin, therefore, will not become opened by reason of anypressure applied to the front leg 4 which moves said leg toward the backleg 3.

If, however, when the pin is in use the front leg 4 is subjected topressure in an angular direction relative to the plane II which wouldcause the point 5 of the pin to move through the passage l2, the pointedend 5 will still be protected because it can only be disengaged from thehead by an additional movement transverse to the plane I l sufficient tocarry it out from the entering slot 8. Hence even if the pressure towhich the pin is subjected while in use is sufficient to carry thepointed end into a position at the junction of the entering slot 8 andthe passage I2, yet when such pressure is released the resiliency of thepin will immediately return the pointed end of the pin through thepassage 12 to its seat l3.

As an added safety feature the portion l4 of the head between theentering slot 8 and the passage I2 is formed with a second recess H! onthe side thereof opposite the recess [5 which second recess opens intothe entering slot 8. The construction of these safety pins is such thatthe legs 3 and 4 always normally assume positions in the plane II inwhich said legs are located, and as the head I is rigid with the backleg 3 the entering slot 8 will always have a position at right angles tosaid plane and the recesses l5 and I8 will always be in said plane.

If the pointed end of the pin is moved from its position shown in thedrawing into a position at the inner end of the entering slot 8 and thenis allowed to move laterally, it will by its own resiliency move into aposition in the plane II and if the front leg is then relieved ofpressure it will tend to move away from the back leg in said plane andwill become engaged in the second recess l8 in which position the pointof the pin is still protected and the pin is held closed.

In order to open the pin it is necessary to force the front leg 3laterally beyond the plane I I sufficiently to carry it out from theopen end of the slot 8. This operation of opening the pin, therefore,requires that the front leg 4 should be given a peculiar movement firstin a direction to carry it through the passage l2 and then in a lateraldirection sufficient to carry it past and through the plane II and outof the open end of the slot 8. This peculiar movement is one which it isextremely unlikely would ever be given to the front leg 3 accidentllywhile the pin is in use.

The head 1 can be rigidly secured to the back leg 3 in any approved way,and as herein shown the end l9 of the leg 3 is embedded in said head.

While the invention is capable of use with any pin of the safety type,yet it is of special importance in connection with a diaper pin becauseof the elimination of the danger involvedin the accidental opening ofsuch a pin when in use.

My improved fastening device is also adapted for use in pins of othertypes than safety pins. such as jewelry pins, barrettes, etc., whichcomprise a body member and a pin element resiliently connected at oneend thereto to swing toward and from the body element for opening andclosing the pin, and therefore I do not wish to be limited in the use ofthe invention to safety pins.

I claim:

1. A safety pin having a back leg and a front leg connected at one endby a spring coil that is integral with both legs, the free end of thefront end being pointed, a point-shielding head rigid with the free endof the back leg, said spring coil normally maintaining the two legs in aplane situated between the opposite side faces of the head, said headhaving an entering slot extending transversely thereof from one sideface toward the opposite side face and across and beyond the said planeof the two legs, and also having a passage leading laterally from theinn r end of said slot in a direction away from the back leg andterminating in a seat located in said plane and adapted to receive thepointed end of the front leg when the pin is closed, said pointed endbeing yieldingly held against said seat by the spring coil, the portionof the head which separates the slot from the passage being formed witha recess situated in said plane and communicating with said seat.

2. A safety pin having a back leg and a front leg connected at one endby a spring coil that is integral with both legs, the free end of thefront leg being pointed, a point-shielding head rigid with the free endof the back leg, said spring coil normally maintaining the two 'legs ina plane situated between the opposite side faces of the head, said headhaving an entering slot extending transversely thereof from one sideface toward the opposite side face and across and beyond the said planeof the two legs, and also having a curved passage leadinglaterally fromthe inner end of said slot in a direction away from the back leg andterminating in a seat located in said plane and adapted to receive thepointed end of the front leg when the pin is closed, said pointed endbeing yieldingly held against said seat by the spring coil, the portionof the head which separates the slot from the passage being formed witha recess which is situated in said plane and communicates with said seatand the depth dimension of which is at right angles to said enteringslot.

3. A safety pin having a back leg and a front leg connected at one endby a spring coil that is integral with both legs, the free end of thefront leg being pointed, a point-shielding head rigid with the free endof the back leg, said spring coil normally maintaining the two legs in aplane situated between the opposite side faces of the head, said headhaving an entering slot extending transversely thereof from one Sideface toward the opposite side face and across and beyond the said planeof the two legs, and also having a passage leading laterally from theinner end of said slot in a direction away from the back leg andterminating in a seat located in said plane and adapted to receive thepointed end of the front leg when the pin is closed, said pointed endbeing yieldingly held against said seat by the spring coil, the portionof the head which separates the slot from the passage being formed onone side with a recess situated in said plane and communicating withsaid seat and on the other side with a recess also situated in saidplane but communicating with said slot.

DONALD H. WHITE.

